How Much Can One Person Do?

Well, I don’t know if it is my age, the fact that I am a mom or that I am a teacher that puts me in the category of constantly doing more than one thing at a time. I have had lists ever since I can remember and find the opportunity to sit idle something I gave up as a teenager, long before computers and the digital age. How we choose to use our time is exactly that, a choice.

As adults we should be able to focus our attention to complete a series of tasks. We can choose to open another tab or not. If we have more time and feel the need for a distraction such as Facebook or to see what is trending on Twitter, go for it. I can choose to close my laptop completely and do all of the other things my life requires.

Students, on the other hand, may need more help focusing their attention. The OneNote extension of Windows does not have pop-ups and I, as the teacher have control as to what my students are accessing. I do like the option of minimizing the viewing options of Youtube and anything I can do to block ads is helpful. The tools we spoke of last week, DF Tube for example allow us to cut down on the distractions.

The video, Single Tasking is the new multitasking, assigned for this week made me laugh. The list of tangents is exactly how my brain works…I don’t need a computer to do that. Ha! Source Productivity suites were developed for people to be able to work quickly and efficiently in a world that is moving too fast. Finding the ability to focus on one task and perform it well, while keeping other things fluid can be difficult at time but is a real world requirement. As Daniel mentioned in his blog, all tools are useless if used inappropriately. Each individual has to find what works best and how he can be at his most productive. If time is of the essence, close a few tabs and buckle down, single task. If you are finding you have time to spare, follow the links, go with the flow, what have you got to lose but time.